spelling bee

noun

1. a spelling competition won by the individual or team spelling the greatest number of words correctly; spelldown.

spelling bee

noun

1. a contest in which players are required to spell words according to orthographic conventions

Word History and Origins

Origin of spelling bee¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Word History and Origins

Origin of spelling bee¹

C19: from _bee ²

Example Sentences

Science experiments were performed, Latin verbs conjugated, multiplication tables recited, and spelling bees held.

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On the other side sits Ainsley, who would lose a grade-school spelling bee to a bag of hair extensions yet manages to get into college as a cheerleading squad walk-on.

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Also worth noting: I won my grade-wide spelling bee in first grade by correctly spelling "hamburger."

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Cashore credits his parents for helping him prepare for his trip to Washington, D.C., for the spelling bee.

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Aliyah Alpert, who finished ninth in 2022, missed the bee entirely last year because she flubbed the word “recoup” in the Yavapai County spelling bee in her home state of Arizona.

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